Angels Would Fall
by Sorceress Fantasia
Summary: Ryou is an angel who falls from heaven for love. His best friend, Yami, follows him down to earth in hopes of bringing him back, and in the process, learns to trust and love again. Discontinued.
1. Prologue

Title: Angels Would Fall prologue

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: YYxY, BxR, and other pairings to come

Warnings: AU, angels, light angst, romance

Archive: Fanfiction.net

Mediaminer

Anyone else, just ask.

Disclaimer: I thought of wishing for the YGO boys to fall into my arms by wishing upon a shooting star. But well, I'm still looking for that shooting star. So no, I don't own any of the YGO gang or the anime.

He was already near the edge of heaven, the home he was born into. Just a few more steps, and he'd be gone. Still, from where he was standing, he could peer into the lower realm, the world where humans lived. The world where love sometimes became obsolete, useless and even a burden. And where love still thrived, despite it all. He took another step.

Another stood by him, ready to guide him down once he left the safety of heaven. The older angel watched solemnly, almost unwilling to believe what he knew was going to happen. After all, such things were seldom heard of, and even more rarely seen. For a moment, he contemplated asking the young one to reconsider, but words would not come to him. He had no reason to ask him to stay, after all. Sighing, he prepared himself for the task ahead.

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

"Wait! Ryou, don't go!"

The white-haired angel, hearing his name being called, turned around from the edge of the clouds.

"Yami?"

Another angel appeared before him, looking flustered and panting faintly. Taking a deep breath, Yami looked into his eyes, gazing intensely and his lips caught in a taut line. Shaking his head, he said, "Don't go," and after a moment of hesitation, "please."

Ryou could only give him a gentle smile that had, on so many other occasions, offered him comfort. But comfort was hardly what Yami had in mind, not when his best friend was leaving heaven. For good.

"Yami, I have to go. He's waiting for me."

"No, you don't have to go." Yami's tone was soft but firm, almost as though a harsh whisper. His flaming orbs seemed unusually subdued, barely conveying his distress. "He's only human. And you know what that means. They're unreliable! None of their emotions are real. And even if they were, those feelings will fade over time. Ryou, he'll stop loving you one day. Besides, humans are not eternal! They'll die, while we were blessed with eternity! To give up your immortality in paradise for one man… It's not worth it!"

The other angel gazed at him intently for a moment, his smile never faltering. "But it is," Ryou answered, eyes softening as he thought of his lover, still pining for him on earth. "Maybe you're right; maybe it won't be forever. But… even if our bodies perish, our feelings will still be there. Even if… he won't love me forever, I'll still get a taste of what it's like and I'll be able to love him forever. That is enough, for me."

Yami clenched his fists, and his brows fell into their perpetual frown. "He's just a human! You can't trust them. They lie, they connive, they hate and they sin. They only look to God when they're in trouble, when they've got no one else to turn to. But where do they chuck us when they're happy, when they've got everything they want for themselves? They don't believe in God, and definitely not us," he tried again, flailing his arms almost wildly. When he saw that his words weren't working, he glared at the other angel beside Ryou. "Help me here, Rishid!"

But the older angel could only stare back. When the red-eyed angel would not back down, he said, "Yami, don't you think I've tried? Besides, I probably feel even worse than you, having to guide Ryou down to earth! Can you imagine it? Me, guiding an angel to fall from heaven and taking his wings? Do you think I want to let him go too? But you've heard the council! You can't fight their decisions!" His tone was laced with exasperation and hinted of weariness.

Yami snorted almost harshly, but said nothing more. Rishid was right. No one could ever deny the council's decisions.

Ryou turned to Rishid. "I'm sorry, Rishid. You didn't have to do this…"

He shook his head firmly. "Don't be silly. I'd be worried if I didn't guide you down personally."

"Thank you…" the young angel replied, his heartfelt sincerity easily discerned. He turned back to his best friend. "Yami, you shouldn't stereotype human beings. Not all of them are evil. Besides, even angels can be tainted and become fallen. You can't expect more than that for humans," he replied easily. Still, he knew that Yami was not to be convinced that simply. After all, he had disliked humans for as long as he could remember. And being skeptical of them, Yami had seldom gone down to the human realm to take a look.

He himself, on the other hand, had believed otherwise. When he had gone down for the first time, he had seen love and compassion. And he felt compelled to help, to spread God's love around to everyone. His visits to earth soon became a frequent event, often in disguise to help the needy. It was on one of such visits that he had met Bakura, a high school student who had ensnared his heart with his portraits.

"I love him. And he's waiting for me. I have to go back to him. He needs me."

But Yami would have none of it. Quickly, he ran in front of Ryou and blocked his path, arms and wings all spread out.

"I won't let my best friends give up his wings. The love of humans is not worthy of all the things you have to give up. Ryou, do you even understand? You'll have to give up heaven, our home! And your wings! And your immortality! You'll never come back to heaven again!"

"Bakura has given me a new heaven, one where I can happy in. And he has painted me wings on his canvas to last forever. I don't need immortality if I can't be with him. My home… is where he is. Yami, don't stop me now. I have to go."

But the other angel stood firmly to his ground. "He doesn't know what happened to his mother, does he?"

Ryou stiffened, taking in a sharp breath. He looked away, his eyes glassy. For a moment, all seemed frozen in time as his face registered shock, forlornness and then faded to regret.

He was hitting below the belt; he knew it. But if it would keep his friend in heaven… he'd just better have a good idea of consoling Ryou later. Oh, he didn't cry often, but when he did, the amount of tears would be enough to put out the flames in hell. It irked him to hurt his friend, but Yami persisted and added, "Do you think he'll still love you if he found out?"

"That's why I have to go down and stay with him. I've failed him once; I won't allow it to happen again. If… If he discovers the truth and decides that… he can't love me anymore… it's just what I deserve." Ryou's voice was soft to begin with, and it was almost inaudible by the end. But the traces of wistfulness tingeing his words were so profound.

"Yami, that's enough. Do not interfere with this any longer. It is Ryou's decision as much as the council's," Rishid explained, already poised to pull the obstructing angel away. However, Ryou placed an assuring arm on his wrist and shook his head. Sighing, he backed down, allowing the younger one to take over.

Ryou offered his friend one more smile. "Come and visit me when you have the time, would you? I'll miss you, Yami…"

A sudden gust of wind bellowed, and its force made Yami's eyes close on their own accord. For a moment, he brought his arms in front of his face to shield himself. Then the wind dissipated as suddenly as it had come. When he opened his eyes, Ryou was gone. He gasped, and ran to the edge of the clouds. Seeing the swirl of the clouds in a light violet haze below, he felt his heart fall, just like the way his friend was falling down to earth.

Rishid just stood on the other side, peering down intently and murmuring quietly.

Note: This is my first YGO fic, ever, so erm... forgive me if I write anything strange? /sweatdrops/ And I have no beta for this fic, so any mistakes are mine and mine alone. Unless someone is willing to help me with it?


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Angels Would Fall part 1

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: YYxY, BxR, and other pairings to come

Warnings: AU, angels, light angst, romance

Archive: Fanfiction.net  
MediaMiner  
Anyone else, just ask.

Disclaimer: I thought of wishing for the YGO boys to fall into my arms by wishing upon a shooting star. But well, I'm still looking for that shooting star. So no, I don't own any of the YGO gang or the anime.

Note: Malik is the normal one, while Yami Malik is known as Ishtar in this fic, though I'm not even sure if he'll be in this fic...  
  
Yami bristled his black wings, sulking alone in God's garden. It had been roughly a week since Ryou left the ranks of angels, and he was still angry with that. The others had repeatedly told him, love was a strong emotion and the white-haired angel was clever enough to stay for true love only. But even if that were true, Yami still felt that his friend had been shortchanged. Severely.  
  
Heaven was pure, eternal and promised happiness. It was the home of God and angels, a world without deceit and scheming. How many humans longed to even set foot inside the gates of Heaven just for the one little glimpse? He had long lost count.  
  
Yet Ryou had managed to throw all that away and then some. What was so good about earth anyway? It was filthy and polluted, full of lying people and evil plots meant to mislead others. And humans had to go through illness, old age and their eventual deaths.  
  
He scowled again.  
  
"Still sulking, are you?" a voice rang out, and soon, a young angel materialized near him.  
  
Yami didn't even have to look up to know who it was. After all, there weren't many people who dared approach to him, and even fewer who actually talked to him. "Malik? What're you doing here?"  
  
"The same thing I do everyday, Yami. Trying to get some sense inside your thick skull," he answered, folding up his wings neatly behind his. Seeing that his words had no effect, he crossed his arms, and continued huffily, "Can't you get it off your mind by now? It's already been a week!"  
  
The crimson-eyed angel scowled even harder, if it were possible. "I don't understand him, Malik! How can he give up heaven for a... a human!? A human being! Out of all the reasons he could have chosen to leave heaven, he chose to fall in love. With a human, no less!"  
  
Malik sighed, shaking his head. Sensing that the conversation would take a very long time, he flopped himself down on the grass patch carelessly, grimacing when a small pebble dug into his back. Throwing it aside, he sat up and looked back at his friend.  
  
"Ryou told us, remember? He said that when he'd first looked into that human's eyes, he felt something click into place inside him. That's a sign that Ryou's meant to be with him. You can't defy that feeling, not when it's what makes you whole."  
  
"Well, he's wrong then. He must have felt it wrong," Yami answered stubbornly.  
  
The lavender-eyed boy rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just what is it about humans that you hate so much? You still can't get over..." he tripped over his words as his instincts yelled at him to keep away from this sensitive issue, but the slower part of his mind persisted and he found himself blurting, "...that incident?" When he saw Yami's expression harden with a glare directed at him, Malik knew instantly that he had gotten it right. That, and he had said something extremely bad for his health.  
  
For once, Malik thought that immortality wasn't necessarily a good thing, especially for angels like Yami who found it hard in their entire being to forget. Even though the... incident -there was just no other word for it, he thought- had happened well over two centuries ago, there was still no evidence or hint that suggested Yami would ever be able to put it out of his mind.  
  
Then again, the angel probably remembered every moment of the aftermath whenever he saw his black wings. Malik sighed, and shook his own white wings self-consciously. One black feather for every shred of regret, they said, black wings for not being strong enough.  
  
But... he couldn't recall a time when Yami had actually liked humans. He tolerated them -just barely- or even ignored them, but it seemed that Yami had never really liked many of them. It was like... he wasn't made to love them. That incident had merely intensified Yami's low level of tolerance for humans.  
  
"Yami," he tried again, "You should learn to let go. Honestly, you can't distrust humans just because there're a couple of rotten apples in the basket."  
  
"Correction: you mean a couple of good apples in the basket," Yami snorted haughtily. "There're not a lot of good people down there." Adjusting his position on the rock he was sitting on, he added, "Nothing in the world is eternal except for God. Those feelings Ryou have will fade one day. Why would he give up forever just for that one second?"  
  
"Maybe because he feels stronger for that one second than for forever. One day, when you fall in love, I'm sure you'd feel the same way," Malik explained.  
  
"If, Malik, not when. And that's a big if. I'm not so silly as to be bound to a human being who loves not who I am but what I am. But that's the only thing they see when they fall in love, isn't it? Humans fall in love with love, and not with each other's souls."  
  
There just wasn't any way to erase all the skepticism and jadedness in Yami, was there? Malik suppressed the urge to stand up where he was and just scream. It was a big mystery as to why the crimson-eyed one had not become a fallen angel and pledge allegiance to Lucifer yet. But even more mystifying was how he ever made it into the ranks of heaven with those almost distinctive pessimistic thoughts and trademarked cynical soul.  
  
Suddenly, he felt something cold seeping into his body, running through every fiber of his being like deadly venom. It was as though the very air around him had frozen and weighed down heavily on every living thing around the area.  
  
"Ryou's not in love! He's not!"  
  
Another angel materialized, her pristine white wings spread out like an intimidating predator ready to swoop down on her prey. Her eyes were a shade of mesmerizing purple, but even the frost of ice could not be colder than the chilliness that seemed to stem from inside them.  
  
"Miho?" Malik asked, frowning. She didn't seem like she was in a good mood; in fact, she probably looked as bad as Yami on his worst days and that was certainly saying something.  
  
The girl's brows were deeply knitted as she said, "Ryou's mistaking pity for love. You two know he is... always too sympathetic for his own good. And that Bakura" -she spat as though it was the vilest thing she had ever heard of- "doesn't seem like he's had a good life. All the more reason for Ryou to pity him."  
  
"Your point?"  
  
Her annoyance faded into disbelief and she glared heatedly at the lavender- eyed angel. "I swear you are so slow I can drive stakes into the ground to measure your progress! How can you be so dense? Don't you get it? We have to save Ryou!"  
  
Yami sighed drearily, and slid off the rock he was sitting on. "And how do you propose we do that?"  
  
She snorted, crossing her arms and finally folded her wings neatly behind her. "Anything but sit here and whine," she chided. Then as an afterthought, she added, "Like what you're doing now. I won't sit here and wait for Ryou to get hurt. I'm going to talk to the council again."  
  
But her words seemed to have little to no effect on the two; Malik was rolling his eyes again, muttering something that sounded like 'not another closet nutcase' and Yami was lounging on the grass with his arms folded behind his head and looking away. She huffed.  
  
"Fine, if you two aren't up to it, I'll do it myself."  
  
And she was gone in an instant, leaving only a few loose white feathers behind in her wake.  
  
Yami turned bored eyes to his friend. "What makes her think I haven't done that?"  
  
Malik shrugged, tossing a feather that had somehow found its way into his hair. "How would I know? But she's one of the denser angels around, so maybe that's the reason. Yucks, she's shedding her feathers all over me. Maybe she should slow down and take care of herself before flying around and littering the clouds..."  
  
The other angel swept a careless hand in his hair; he had already done everything he could think of, and anything that was possible. Miho was just being hotheaded. Once she calmed down enough, she would finally come to the realization that the council's decision would never be withdrawn no matter what they tried. Plus, they still had Ryou to overcome. While the white- haired angel looked frail and fragile, he was anything but that. Once his mind was made up, it would be easier to part the ocean than to change his mind. Still... it was even harder to question the council.  
  
In fact –he scrunched his nose- it was nearly impossible to.  
  
The council was made up of the higher ranked angels and they were the ones who passed the laws in heaven. If truth be told though, they were the law and everyone knew it. Every angel had to abide by their words, and disobedience was always met with harsh punishment. He couldn't even remember the last time he had heard of someone disobeying the council, and he was already over 4 millenniums old.  
  
And what a long 4 millenniums it had been...  
  
He had gone down to the mortal realm before. After all, there were only so many times he could be entertained by frolicking amongst the clouds before he finally admitted that he was extremely bored. Technically, the only jobs most angels had was taking care of humans, but there was no stipulation how many people they had to help or look after, and they could go on vacations whenever they wanted. Better yet, vacations could go on forever if the angel wanted.  
  
And so with all the benefits in mind, Yami had gone down before. But there was nothing to keep him there.  
  
"...Still," Malik continued as he stood up, brushing the loose grass off his clothes, "I think I can understand why she's so intent on 'saving' Ryou. After all, she's got the biggest crush on Ryou. And she didn't even get to see him off when he left for earth. Then again, you're the only one who managed to. How did you do it anyway? Ryou's departure details were kept secret until he left."  
  
Yami cocked an eyebrow. Had Malik been talking all the while? Gee, he'd definitely perfected the art of tuning his friend out when he was thinking. Turning to his friend, hoping that Malik had not noticed he hadn't paid him much attention earlier, he replied, "Ryou left me a message. But by the time I got it, I could only rush over to where he was going to leave and see him fall." He gritted his teeth.  
  
Malik nodded as realization dawned on him. It was pretty obvious that Ryou would do such a thing, actually. After all, he and Yami had been the best buddies around, even though no one but them could understand how they stayed that way. In milder terms, they were as different as night from day.  
  
"You mean go. Ryou didn't fall. To fall is to be a fallen angel, a servant of the devil. Ryou just... left this place for love."  
  
Yami snapped, "Is there a difference? He's not ever coming back either way."  
  
"Hey, sorry Yami. I tried talking to Isis, but you know her... she's new in the council so the others aren't taking her that seriously yet... And Rishid's just training to even get into the council..." He shrugged helplessly.  
  
"I understand."  
  
"Glad you do, pal."  
  
A moment of silence settled around them, but it wasn't uncomfortable; it was more like both angels were in deep contemplation, and their thoughts served to fill up the stillness like a plug into a socket.  
  
"So are you going to continue sulking? Or can we go frolicking among the clouds and maybe play a few pranks? I was just thinking that maybe we can perform the old-but-always-reliable switcharoo by replacing Miho's shampoo with vinegar..." Malik asked, silently snickering as he imagined the fuss that the female angel would kick up. He had put sugar solution the last time he performed the act, and Miho was absolutely livid when she had to fight off ants and other bugs before she finally realized the prank.  
  
But Yami was so absorbed in his thoughts that he hardly heard Malik's words. "You know," he started after a moment's of silence, "Miho does makes sense actually. For once. If I just sit around, nothing's gonna happen. I should be more spontaneous and do something..."  
  
"Like what?" the sandy blonde mumbled grudgingly, a little annoyed that his friend hadn't listened to him. "The council's not gonna budge no matter what we do."  
  
The words seemed to click in Yami's mind, and he snapped his fingers, looking more excited than he had in a long time. "Ryou then. We can solve it by working on Ryou!"  
  
Malik rolled his eyes. "You say it like you've found a cure for stupidity..." He prided himself when he didn't flinch at Yami's glare.  
  
"Apparently, I've not, because otherwise, you would be keeping stupid comments like that to yourself..." the crimson-eyed angel snapped like a provoked alligator. "Anyway, as I was saying, we can prove to Ryou that humans cannot be trusted and that that... what's his name? Oh whatever..."  
  
"Bakura."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said his name is Bakura."  
  
"Oh right. So we prove to Ryou that Bakura doesn't love him, and Ryou will come back willingly!"  
  
"If only it were that simple," Malik murmured, sighing inwardly. "Have you forgotten that Ryou's already given up his wings? He can't come back anymore even if he wants to."  
  
For a moment, the confidence that had been rolling off Yami in waves faltered, but the angel quickly regained his composure. "I'll find a way to let him come back. But first things first, we need to get him away from that Bakura."  
  
The ring of finality in Yami's tone irked Malik. "No, you mean you need to get him away from that Bakura. I'm not going with you. Isis would have my head if I even remotely habour those thoughts."  
  
"Fine then. I'll do it on my own," the black-winged angel replied icily. "I'm going down to earth to 'help'" -he made little quotation signs with his fingers- "the humans and on the way, visit Ryou and that boyfriend of his."  
  
-----  
  
The clouds parted slowly as though someone was drawing the curtains, and he leaned forward to get a peek. But the view he got wasn't much.  
  
Although he had rebuked Malik arrogantly, Yami was starting to question himself. It was uncharted territory down there; he could hardly remember how the human realm looked like. How long had it been, really? One... two centuries? He couldn't recall. Or perhaps he didn't want to recall.  
  
Shaking that thought off almost harshly, he steered his mind back to the task at hand. He had to go down. He had to help Ryou see his mistake and hopefully, get him back into the pearly gates. Suddenly, Malik's words came back to haunt him. He had no idea how to give Ryou his wings back.  
  
Looking down again, he took a deep breath. He was never going to figure out anything if he didn't even try, he told himself. And he didn't really have much choice, really; Ryou was his best friend and he would do anything to help him. He liked him despite the white-haired angel's tendency to be overly naïve at times and too kind for his own good. Right, he had to help Ryou.  
  
With a newfound determination, he leapt.  
  
-----  
  
The fall was easier and far more comfortable than he thought, hardly remembering anything from his past forays to the world of humans. The wind whipped against him, but it was barely noticeable with the rush of adrenaline in his body. His excitement was amplified by the roaring wind, the sound of his blood gashing in his ears and even the feel of the tendrils of clouds whispering across his arms.  
  
Deciding that he had a job to do and places to go, he angled his wings and picked up speed, gliding on the air currents. It was a while, but he finally saw the city that Ryou had told him he'd be living in, and he smirked. Using a bit of magic, he slowed down and dove for a dark spot concealed by the shadows, kneeling down to soften the impact of his fall.  
  
Landing soundlessly on his feet as though a cat on its padded feet, Yami got up. He scanned the area. Trashcans, checked; rubbish, checked; scrawny cat digging through the smelly bags, checked; barking dog chasing away the cat, checked. Yami slapped his forehead mentally. Of all the places he could have landed, he had landed in an alley. And a dirty one at that.  
  
It was clear that he was no longer familiar with the human realm.  
  
Not that that didn't come like a punch to his head when he stepped out of the alley to find himself on a busy street. The things that sped across the roads like horseless carriages... were those the cars Ryou had told him about before? And the buildings! When had humans managed to build things that tall... that looked as though they were some kind of jungle? The number of humans walking around the streets was nothing to be scoffed at either.  
  
As he was standing there appraising the magnificence of the modern city, a woman hollered, and Yami looked to his side. He was surprised, to say the least, when she passed right through him. Blinking, he suddenly remembered that humans could not see him, an angel, unless he let them. In fact, they couldn't even feel his presence.  
  
Looking at the clothes on display behind the window of the shop across the street, Yami retreated back into the dark alley. When he came out again, he had abandoned his angelic garb; instead, he was dressed in black leather top and pants that kissed every curve and bump of his body. A pair of ebony boots and a few gold accessories completed his outfit. Giving himself a quick once over, he nodded to himself. Sure, it looked a little weird, but he didn't think he looked too bad in it.  
  
And apparently, the humans felt the same way too, judging from the way they were eyeing Yami like he was a piece of choice meat. A group of girls whispered breathlessly nearby, and when he spared them a wayward glance, they nearly swooned. And it wasn't just them. A teenage boy shot him a death glare when his female companion turned to gaze dreamily at him, as did a few other women on the streets. And that man across the street looked like he was licking his chops...  
  
Yami snorted. Humans were definitely fickle creatures, if they could not look past mere appearances. If only they could see his black wings... they'd probably take to the hills, running and screaming for help. His wings were still folded behind him, but that was hardly a problem since no human could see it.  
  
Strutting down the street, Yami looked around again. Just where was Ryou? The white-haired angel –ex-angel, he corrected himself irately- had told him nothing more than the city he was going to live in: Domino. That wasn't really much to work with, when Domino was much bigger than it looked from heaven. And he couldn't detect Ryou's presence now that he wasn't an angel anymore.  
  
Suddenly, a coughing fit caught up with him. But it went away as fast as it came. Yami shrugged it off, thinking that maybe it was just the dust in the air. After all, this city didn't look very clean.  
  
'Where should I go now? If I were a human, and I want to find someone, where would I go?' he thought, ignoring another cough. 'Is there some kind of directory for addresses? But what name is Ryou's place put under? Ba... Gods, I forgot his name again...'  
  
-----  
  
By the time night fell like a blanket shrouding the skies, Yami was no closer than he was when he first arrived. He had gotten hit on by a couple of girls, but none knew Ryou and hence he paid them no attention. Police records seemed to be a good place to start, but since he couldn't remember Ryou's boyfriend's name, it was useless too. Photos didn't work either, because he had no idea how that man looked like and Ryou had never offered that piece of information. It was probably too personal.  
  
And worst of all, the coughing fits were plaguing him like a swamp of bugs.  
  
Forcing his tired limbs to move on, Yami soon found himself in an avenue of residences. Even the thought was tedious, but it seemed that looking and asking around was the only way he could find Ryou. Shaking his head, he pressed on.  
  
He could just imagine Malik laughing his head off at his current predicament. And maybe Isis would chide him for not paying attention during his lessons when they taught him how to trace people in the human realm in his angel form. Then Rishid would probably sigh at him and drag him off for more lessons.  
  
Yami shuddered to even think about that.  
  
But apparently, his shuddering wasn't just because of the mental images. Another bout of coughing caught up with him, and his entire frame shook violently as it took its toll on him.  
  
'What's wrong with me?' he thought, leaning against a nearby wall. His throat was sore and painful, and his nose and eyes didn't feel any better either. Something was way off, but he had no idea what it was. Yami tried to revert to his angel form but couldn't.  
  
It made his coughing worse.  
  
Sliding down against the wall, he felt his eyes slid close and a darkness luring him away. It beckoned to him like flowers to bees, and he soon gave into blissful oblivion. But even as he did, a voice rang out, temporarily bringing him out. The voice was sweet... and was that a trace of concern there? It was so very sweet, so peaceful, so...  
  
...familiar...

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Replies to reviews:

Chibi-sha - Yup, you're my first reviewer for this fic. Thanx! Abt what happened to Bakura's mother, can't tell you! Not now, at least. :)

Amarin Rose - Thanx for the review, but I can't tell you what happened to Bakura's mother yet. I'd be spoiling the story for you otherwise.

Carmen5-Nemrac - It's not exactly my first fic... it's my first for YGO, but I've been writing for years already.


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Angels Would Fall part 2

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: YYxY, BxR, and other pairings to come

Warnings: AU, angels, light angst, romance

Disclaimer: I thought of wishing for the YGO boys to fall into my arms by wishing upon a shooting star. But well, I'm still looking for that shooting star. So no, I don't own any of the YGO gang or the anime.

Note: I have never believed that Yugi is weak. He is just shy and physically undeveloped, but he is hardly weak, even before getting Jou as a friend. He would never have shielded Jou and Honda from Ushio if he had been. Hence, the Yugi you see in this fic might be a little different from what you've seen in other fics and there will be no OOC tag for that.

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Yugi wasn't sure what had made him want to stay in on a Friday night, when people of his age were mostly out there partying the night away, relishing the temporary freedom from school. But when his friends had asked him out for a pizza, a movie and a night at the arcade, he had, somehow, rejected the offer.

It wasn't too unlike him though, and his friends made no issue out of that.

The whole incident just made Yugi think about his life in an otherworldly perspective, as though he were going over his life as another person. But it was hard not to, not when he had never felt comfortable in his body and that his skin was the only thing that kept him from going everywhere at once.

His body was definitely restricting, whether in terms of the things he could do or how others perceived him to be. Even though he was already a seventeen-years-old teenager, he had the body of someone at least four years younger. His short arms and legs always made gym a horrible experience for him, and his petite stature merely amplified that problem too many times to even keep count.

The bullies in school certainly didn't help matters either. Sometimes, Yugi thought that he had a 'please pick on me' sign stuck on his forehead in neon lights. One of these days, they were going to kill him. Vaguely, he wondered if he should prepare his will beforehand. Like now.

As pessimistic as the idea sounded, he picked out a pen and paper. It was, after all, better to be safe than sorry.

'Okay, Jou can have my desk. His is practically falling apart. And he and Honda can divide my manga and game collections among themselves, though how they'll manage that civilly is beyond me. My plushies go to Anzu of course, but Mokuba would probably want the Dark Magician one...' he thought, writing everything down in his neat and precise handwriting. 'What else should I give away?'

He looked around his room. There was hardly anything else worth giving his friends, even though he had a lot of things lying around. His grandfather had made sure that Yugi would never lack anything; anything he wanted, he got it, sometimes even before he asked for it. It was probably his way of making up for his regular absence.

Then, Yugi's eyes landed on something. He reached for it slowly, covering it almost lovingly with his hand. Picking it up gently, he smiled wryly. Even after all these years, he had always found it ironic that how a deck of inanimate objects could be his most loyal companion.

'I guess... Kaiba could have my deck, even though he probably won't need it. His deck is strong enough as it is.'

He was fanning out his duel monster cards and admiring them when suddenly, something caught his attention. But the sound went away as suddenly as it came, and Yugi shrugged it off. However, it resounded through the otherwise still night again soon enough like a lasting scratch across a chalkboard.

Someone was coughing nearby, and didn't sound like he or she was gonna stop anytime soon, judging from the sounds of it. Curiously, Yugi pushed his window open and leaned out. It took a while to pinpoint the source of the coughing simply because it was dark, but he finally noticed the figure huddled against the wall, looking like he (Yugi had figured this out from the person's body language; no womanly woman would do all the things the guy did) was going to pass out. And if he could come to that conclusion based on the fact that he could see only the person's silhouette, he wondered how bad it really was for the guy.

His kindness shoved common sense aside as Yugi dashed down the stairs of his house. The poor guy out there needed help, and it didn't seem like anyone else was going to. Opening his door, he turned right. The person was still leaning against the wall, still coughing. By now, the unrelenting coughing sounded painful and raw, like his throat was completely sore and dry.

"Hey! Are you..."

Yugi's words were barely out of his mouth when the stranger blacked out, falling down to the ground in a careless heap.

-----

Darkness.

The colour of regret.

It wrapped around him like a shroud, caressing him like a whisper of smoke, a kiss of tears and a flicker of nothingness.

It blotted out every other colour, almost like they had never even existed.

The eternal plane of darkness...it was warm, and yet cold.

He welcomed it's allure, and yet rejected it's beckoning.

It was so dark, so very dark.

So much like himself, his person, his life, and his name.

Slowly, his eyes opened, slits of blood red barely visible. But he was still caught in the darkness like a fox in a steel trap, until he felt something cool pressed against his forehead. He tried again.

It was no good; exhaustion quickly caught up with him like a gust of wind ensnarling him in its claws. And his eyes slipped shut again, but not before catching a sliver of purple.

Purple.

The colour of... absolution.

-----

He was floating in a sea of clouds, feeling the wispy material kissing his skin in a cooling sensation. It was his hobby, lazing around the clouds and snoozing. As long as he looked up, all he would see was the beauty that was heaven.

But his eyes were closed.

Distantly, he heard a familiar tone of voice.

'Ryou? Is that you?'

He tried to open his eyes, but found his lids heavy and unwilling to obey.

The voice was soft and comforting. He wanted to see Ryou.

He struggled to open his eyes again, and finally, they started to budge.

The darkness quickly gave way to light that flooded his senses, and he hissed at the sudden pain that invaded his eyes. It was like something sharp but small stabbing at him, and it hurt. But it was, strangely, comforting at the same time. Instincts told him to bring an arm up to shield the light, but his arms were so heavy as though they had been chained down.

He moaned.

"Sorry! I forgot about that!"

The voice exclaimed, and he felt the concern wash over him. Vaguely, he heard a soft 'click' and the light was gone in an instant. Panic started to chip at the concern he had felt earlier.

'Don't shut me out from the light! Don't leave me in darkness again!' he yelled mentally, his throat much too sore to speak. His eyes fluttered open, and this time it didn't hurt anymore. 'Where am I?'

"Hey, are you alright?"

Yami felt the bed he was lying on dip slightly, and he looked to his side. His vision was a blurred swirl of colours, but he could still make out the enchanting purple pools gazing back at him. It was someone's eyes, he reasoned, which meant that it wasn't Ryou. But the voice was just as sweet, just as comforting. He wanted to hear more of that voice, liking the way it seemed to resonate within his being and tingle his insides.

'Hikari?'

"You collapsed outside my house. What were you thinking? Running around when you're burning up with fever? You should be more careful," the boy admonished lightly, reaching out a hand to gingerly touch his forehead like a loving mother would do. "At least your fever seems to be going down."

Yami felt a shiver run through his body at the touch. He was sure, that if he didn't have a fever before, his skin was certainly on fire now. He wanted more.

"You're still weak now, so I guess you'll have to spend the night over here. Go back to sleep and we can talk tomorrow. I wonder who you are though..."

If he had the strength, he would have answered, "And I you." But what little strength he had left was rapidly seeping away like water in a net, and Yami felt himself drifting in the darkness again. But this time, he felt that little sliver of purple keeping his head above the murky waters and he smiled contentedly.

-----

It was definitely strange. But at least now he knew why he had chosen to stay home on a Friday night. Or maybe it wasn't exactly 'chosen'. Fate had probably dictated him to do so. Still, if he could and knew that he would get an answer, he wanted to ask, "Why me?"

And then he'd probably hear someone (maybe a voice from who knows where) answer, "If not you, then who!?"

Life sucked sometimes. Really, it did.

Stealing a glance at the being asleep on his bed, Yugi frowned. The boy's fever had gone down some time ago, but he still seemed so drained of his energy that he could barely open his eyes. And even so, it was just for a moment before he got back to sleep again.

Still, that one moment in time was enough for Yugi to catch sight of those blazing red eyes that seemed to smolder like fire and yet at the same time, bleed profusely. He imagined it was the type of eyes authors would bless the monsters under their pens with, scary... and heartbreakingly bitter.

But those eyes weren't exactly the things that were putting him off kilter. Just why did he look so much like himself?

Yugi stared at the dozing figure from his desk again. That spiky hairdo was just impossible to copy, as far as he could tell. He had tried once, spiking up Jou's blonde locks with hair gel. They gave up after using 3 bottles and still unable to keep the hair from limping sideways. And the golden bangs that framed their faces protectively, the raven hair that eventually gave way to reddish tips... How did one have that sort of hair anyway? He flicked a lock of his bangs away from his eyes and sighed. The only difference was that the boy had streaks of gold, the same colour as his bangs, running through his raven hair like Zeus' thunder bolts. It would probably look strange, awkward even, if it had been someone else, but it looked so natural... so fitting on him.

That was hardly the strangest thing that spooked Yugi, however. The crimson eyes, the tri-coloured hair... oh no. Those were just minute coincidences that were a little too coincidental for his comfort.

He turned away, but he couldn't shake off the outlandish feeling that was eating at him. Feeling the cool solid presence of his unfinished puzzle in his hands, he felt a little calmer; the puzzle, a present from his grandfather long ago, always seemed to emit a soothing resonance for him. It glinted in the light of his desk lamp, looking more otherworldly than ever.

But just why did the other have wings?

And pure black wings at that?

-----

A pain so unlike any other gripped his body, sending him into another coughing fit. He felt terrible. In milder terms, it was like being run over by a truck, and a 16-wheeler at that. At least, that was how Ryou had described his pain when he had hit his head in a ball game.

...Ryou?

That seemed to be a cue, and his eyes flew open. But what greeted Yami wasn't what he was used to seeing. Where the clear blue sky used to be was replaced by a stark white ceiling, and the moist clouds he slept in wasn't there either. Instead, he was lying on a dry bed and covered by a warm blanket. Wasn't this how humans slept in their realm?

Humans?

Yami run through his memories. 'Ryou left heaven, and Malik and I were talking about it... And then I got mad at the whole thing, and I went to the edge of heaven... and I jumped. Oh god... I'm in the human realm!'

Disconcerted, he tried to throw off the blankets and get away, but found his wavering strength leaving him again. And then there was a gentle presence pushing him back down.

"Hey, lie back down. You don't seem that well enough yet."

That voice again. He had heard it before, when he was drifting. Yami looked up and saw the purple eyes again, the same ones that he had seen in his dreams. But now that he took a closer look, he noticed that it wasn't just any shade of purple. It was a mesmerizing amethyst more exquisite than any jewel and softer than any silk. When did mere humans have eyes of that shade? As though they had been kissed by the Creator...

There had been someone else though. Someone with eyes the same shade of amethyst that seemed to glimmer in the dark like a beacon of hope, with so much trust it made him feel so wanted whenever he looked at him in the eye. But that had been ages past.

Yami put up no resistance at the voice and the eyes. There seemed like there was no way he could, anyway. It was like a spell had been woven upon him like an intricate web that kept him submissive as though a tamed cat that had been offered warm milk and a soft bed. But the trance did not last long, and he blinked when his finally came back to realize what the boy before him really was.

"Human!" he exclaimed, much to his own surprise. He always thought that he had better control than that. Shoving that stray thought aside, Yami tried to get off the bed and make his getaway. But his now weak body protested rather painfully, and the headache that had left him earlier came back full force like a herd of elephants playing soccer. He fell back into the bed, groaning.

"Hey! Are you all right? You look you've just seen a ghost..." the boy trailed off, trying to feel his forehead again.

But Yami, gathering what he had of his strength, slapped it away. "Don't touch me. Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

"Well, you fainted outside my house. If I didn't bring you in, my neighbours would probably think I murdered you and dumped your body outside," the boy replied rather indignantly. But his voice quickly turned gentle again, as though he wasn't really able to say anything malicious and mean. "And my name's Yugi. Mutou Yugi."

If the elephants had finished with their game, Yami would have snapped at Yugi. Still, anything he wanted to say was quickly died on his lips when Yugi started to massage his throbbing head and easing the ache inside.

"Just relax for a minute and close your eyes. You'll feel much better after this."

He settled into a trance again, feeling the comforting spell lapping at him like warm water. It felt so much like how things were in the past. After an argument with Malik as to why he didn't have to like humans, he'd fly over to Ryou's place to hide for a bit. He hated how the other angels always tried to get him to change his opinion about humans, trying to convince him that he would learn to like them or even love them if he just gave them a chance. Only Ryou didn't try. Never did he ever try to argue with him. Ryou accepted him, no matter what he thought and how he felt. Ryou always accepted him.

For a moment, Yami thought that he was hiding at Ryou's place again, the only place he was free from the incessant debates and arguments and the only place where he didn't have to convince others the way he was.

It was his shelter.

And he loved it.

"Feeling any better now?"

"Yea... thanks, Ryou..." he replied automatically. But when he opened his eyes and saw not the brown doe eyes he had come to associate his friend with, he stiffened. He didn't try to jump away, however.

"Erm, that's great," Yugi offered, ignoring the slip.

"Where am I?"

"My room. You fainted outside some..." –Yugi took a quick glance at his clock sitting on the nightstand- "30 minutes ago. You were burning up with fever, but it wasn't too serious so I didn't call the doctor or anything. Besides, I didn't think you would appreciate it."

"Excellent observational skills," he answered dryly, and tried to sit up again. This time, his head felt a lot better; he reckoned the elephants were having a half-time break, at least. And Yugi made it easier for him too, propping him up with the pillows and supporting him. It irked him a little, having to get help from a human, but Yami knew that was the least of his problems. For now, at least. Just what had made him so unwell that he actually blacked out? Even now, he could still feel the throb inside his head, aching to hurt... again.

Yugi frowned. "Thank you, but I think it's a given that most people would freak out if they saw your wings."

That certainly got Yami's attention and he snapped his head to the amethyst-eyed boy in a combination of shock, horror and sheer surprise.

"I'm... not supposed to see it, huh?" His voice was much like that of a child whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar.

Yami gawked. For a while, his mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a goldfish gasping for air, like he had something he wanted to say but didn't exactly know what. Words, it seemed, were the farthest thing from him at the moment. Finally, he gasped, "How?"

"How what? How I saw your wings? I just do. I mean..."

"Are you even human?"

Yugi frowned harder. "No, I'm an alien from outer space who has assumed the guise of a human being." He rolled his eyes rather in disbelief. "Of course I am! What else can I be?"

An angel, Yami's mind answered, but he slapped himself mentally for the slip. What made him think that a human could pass off as an angel? Still, there was the question of why Yugi was able to see his half-hidden wings. Even though they were not completely concealed, it was still impossible for a mere human to see them. And his afternoon spent walking around the city of Domino had proven that point; no one had seen his wings except for Yugi.

He shrugged. There was no answer now. Perhaps he would ask Isis when he went back.

"So what are you? Humans don't have wings like yours," Yugi commented casually, then he bit his bottom lip. "Well, not that I know of any."

For a moment, Yami considered what to tell him. It normally wasn't a good idea to tell someone in the human realm that you were an angel; you'd either be carted off to the nearest mental institution or get laughed at in your face. It was also possible that the human would run off for the hills, screaming like the denizens of hell were at their heels. Then again, Yugi was taking the fact that he had wings pretty well. And it would not do well for an angel to lie.

"I'm an angel."

"I see."

Yami blinked. That was taking it a bit too well. "Really? Even if I have black wings?"

"Well, since I'm not an angel, I don't think I'm to judge you by the colour of your wings. Besides, I think black suits you. You'd probably look a bit strange if you had white wings." Yugi chuckled.

He resisted the urge to ask Yugi if he was really a human again. When was the last time he had met a human who was so accepting and... angel-like? Maybe he wasn't in the human realm but another part of heaven; that would certainly explain Yugi's character. But the people he had seen that afternoon were no doubt humans. Petty, superficial, impure and everything Yugi was not.

"So what's heaven like? Can you tell me?"

The questions caught him off guard. No one had ever been so curious about heaven. Then again, Yugi was the first human to ever ask, since he was the first one to ever know of his angelic identity. "Heaven is just where we angels live. Nothing much."

"What do you live in? Houses like us?"

"Yeah, but our houses are made of a cloud-like material. There's no ground actually; we mostly walk on clouds. But then again, flying is the preferred mode of transport because it's faster."

"And what do you do for a living?"

"We don't actually have jobs. But we do have duties we need to fulfill. Most angels are guardian angels, and their duty is to take care of humans, so they take trips down to earth frequently to give help where it's needed. However, we can take breaks whenever we want and breaks can last for as long as wish to. No one forces you to work, really."

"So you're on one of these trips?"

Yami frowned. "No. I haven't been down here for centuries..." A stray, random thought hit him. "And that's probably why I'm feeling unwell right now. I'm not used to the air and atmosphere here."

"But you're feeling better now?" Yugi asked, chucking a mug of water towards him.

"Yes. I just need to rest for a bit and let my body get used to it again. Thanks for the water." Yami took a generous gulp and set it on the nightstand.

"No problem. So why are you down here, if you're not on one of those... helping trips?"

The angel frowned, a dark look overcoming his eyes again. Half-hugging his legs, he buried his face into his clasped hands.

To Yugi, he looked like the epitome of loneliness. Yet at the same time, Yami could pass off as a marvelous marble statue created under the magical hands of Michelangelo. Another statue of David, he thought, and absolutely attractive.

Yami remained silent for a long while, and Yugi thought it would be best to leave him alone. Perhaps this was a sensitive subject. He was surprised when the angel spoke, his voice losing the usual authoritative air.

"I'm looking for someone."

-tbc-

Replies to reviews:

SilverWing147 - All of your questions have been answered by this chapter, so I won't say much. Just a very big thank you!

Usagi1313 - More coming soon!

Chibi-Sha - Will do!

Carmen5-Nemrac - Righto... Been writing a lot since I first started. :)

Rekkaboziegirl - Really? I do? Thanx!

Millennium Sorceress - Heh, the Bible stuff about Lucifer and falling is just my try at explaning some things here. They won't appear as much in later chapters.

reclaiming-darkness - Sure! Will keep updating!


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